industrial_automation_practices_preview pdf

Prévia do material em texto

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION PRACTICES:
SPECIFICATION AND PROGRAMMING OF LOGIC CONTROL 
APPLICATIONS IN THE “ITS PLC” TRAINING ENVIRONMENT
Copyright © 2012
ISBN 978-989-96460-1-8
D.L. 313843/10
No part of this book may be reproduced, translated into a machine language, stored in a retrieval 
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, 
recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission from the publisher.
Copyright 2012 by
REAL GAMES LDA. 
Rua Elísio de Melo nº 39, Piso 3 
4000-196 Porto, PORTUGAL
Email: info@realgames.pt 
Internet: http://www.realgames.pt
Translated from the Portuguese edition by António Pessoa de Magalhães
Revised by Carlos Duarte
Cover designed by Bruno Vigário and Nuno Silva, REAL GAMES LDA.
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION PRACTICES:
SPECIFICATION AND PROGRAMMING OF LOGIC CONTROL 
APPLICATIONS IN THE “ITS PLC” TRAINING ENVIRONMENT
António Pessoa de Magalhães
1st edition, 2012
DISCLAIMER
The purpose of the problems and respective solutions presented in this book is solely didactical 
– specifically, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) programming training using the “ITS 
PLC” platform. Hence, despite both the author’s and editor’s belief that the information presented 
throughout this book is correct, under no circumstances will they be held responsible for the use of 
the exact or any derived program presented in this book in any application whatsoever which may 
result in any damage to property or people.
To 
João Rodrigo and José Diogo 
who do so love playing around “crazy machines”...
Índice
PREFACE 15
PART 1 - PRESENTATION 17
The Game 19
The Players 20
The Equipment 21
PART 2 - THE PROBLEMS 23
Mission 1: Automated conveying and sorting of cases on pallets 25
About this Mission 26
Task 1: Automated movement of single pallets on the entry conveyer 27
Task 2: Automated feeding and movement of single pallets on the entry conveyer 28
Task 3: Automated feeding and movement of multiple pallets on the entry conveyer 29
Task 4: Automated control of the turntable 30
Task 5: Automated conveying of pallets from the entry bay to right exit elevator 31
Task 6: Automated feeding and conveying of pallets alternating the exit elevator 32
Task 7: Automated feeding and conveying of pallets alternating the exit elevators with limited stocking 
 in the exit conveyers and support upon unavailability of the elevators 33
Task 8: Automated feeding and conveying of cases on pallets, sorting them by height 34
Task 9: Optimised feeding, conveying and sorting of cases on pallets 35
Task 10: Shutdown and restart of the plant using the start end stop buttons 36
Task 11: Start-up, shutdown and restart of the plant using the start end stop buttons 37
Task 12: Batch conveying 38
And now that the first mission has been accomplished… 39
ITS SUPER – Integration with supervisory systems and human-machine interface consoles 39
ITS DEEP – Detection and handling of error conditions 41
Mission 2: Automating a paint production plant 43
About this Mission 44
Task 1: Producing a tank of red paint 46
Task 2: Producing a dose of red paint 47
Task 3: Batch production of red paint with configurable parameters 48
Task 4: Batch production of red paint with configurable dosage and bad configuration signalling 49
Task 5: Optimised production of red paint 50
Task 6: Supporting early stop orders and alarm procedures 51
Task 7: Flexible and optimised production of red paint 52
Task 8: Flexible and optimised production of primary colour paints 53
Task 9: Production by mixing primary colours 54
Task 10: Producing paint from a catalogue of colours 55
Task 11: Recipe based paint production 56
Task 12: Recipe-based paint production with previous error detection 57
And now that the second mission has been accomplished… 58
ITS SUPER – Integration with supervisory systems and human-machine interface consoles 58
ITS DEEP – Detection and handling of error conditions 59
Mission 3: Automating a high-level palletiser 61
About this Mission 62
Task 1: Machine start-up 63
Task 2: Cyclical movement of pallets 64
Task 3: Software filtering of sensor 10 65
Task 4: Moving pallets in continuous and single cycle mode 66
Task 5: Controlling case feeding devices 67
Task 6: Controlling case feeding and packing devices 68
Task 7: Single layering palletising 69
Task 8: Double layering palletising 70
Task 9: Triple layering palletising 71
Task 10: Flexible palletising by configuring the number of layers 72
Task 11: Flexible palletising by configuring the number of cases in a pallet 73
Task 12: Demo mode for flexible palletising 74
And now that the third mission has been accomplished… 75
ITS SUPER – Integration with supervisory systems and human-machine interface consoles 75
ITS DEEP – Detection and handling of error conditions 76
Mission 4: Automated control of a pick and place station 77
About this Mission 78
Task 1: Parts identification 80
Task 2: Elementary manipulator control 81
Task 3: Dual axis manipulator moving control 82
Task 4: Moving manipulator by reference position 83
Task 5: Station start-up 84
Task 6: Elementary pick and place 85
Task 7: Handling start and stop orders in automatic mode 86
Task 8: Elementary pattern based disposal of parts in the container 87
Task 9: Handling emergency and early stop conditions 88
Task 10: Selective parts picking and disposal in alternate patterns 89
Task 11: Type based parts disposal 90
Task 12: Selective picking and parts disposal based on configurable patterns 91
And now that the fourth mission has been accomplished… 92
ITS SUPER – Integration with supervisory systems and human-machine interface consoles 92
ITS DEEP – Detection and handling of error conditions 93
Mission 5: Automated storage and retrieval system 95
About this Mission 96
Task 1: Transelevator start-up positioning 98
Task 2: Transferring items from the transelevator to compartment 1 and vice-versa 99
Task 3: Retrieving an item stored in compartment 10 100
Task 4: Transferring items from the entry to the exit bay 101
Task 5: Positioning the transelevator by reference value 102
Task 6: Storing items by reference value 103
Task 7: Storing and retrieving items by reference values 104
Task 8: Storing and retrieving items by reference value while handling error and alarm scenarios 105
Task 9: Storing and retrieving items by reference value with diversified coding 106
Task 10: Storing and retrieving items by classes 107
Task 11: Storing by classes and retrieving by chronological order 108
Task 12: Storing and retrieving items randomly 109
And now that the fifth mission has been accomplished… 110
ITS SUPER – Integration with supervisory systems and human-machine interface consoles 110
ITS DEEP – Detection and handling of error conditions 111
PART 3 - THE SOLUTIONS 113
The Structured Text and the IEC 61131-3 Standard 113
Literature and Supporting Materials 114
About the Solutions 115
Declaring I/O variables 117
Mission 1: Automated conveying and sorting of cases on pallets 119
Resolution of Task 1 123
Resolution of Task 2 124
Resolution of Task 3 126
Resolution of Task 4 129
Resolution of Task 5 132
Resolution of Task 6 134
Resolution of Task 7 139
Resolution of Task 8 142
Resolution of Task 9 147
Resolution of Task 10 151
Resolution of Task 11 158
Resolution of Task 12 165
Mission 2: Automating a paint production plant 173
Resolution of Task 1 178
Resolution of Task 2 181
Resolution of Task 3 182
Resolution of Task 4 187
Resolution of Task 5 190
Resolution of Task 6 196
Resolution of Task 7 200
Resolution of Task 8 204
Resolution of Task 9 208
Resolution of Task 10 217
Resolution of Task 11 225
Resolution of Task 12 233
Mission 3: Automating a high-level palletiser 243
Resolution of Task 1 246
Resolution of Task 2 248
Resolutionof Task 3 251
Resolution of Task 4 255
Resolution of Task 5 258
Resolution of Task 6 261
Resolution of Task 7 266
Resolution of Task 8 271
Resolution of Task 9 278
Resolution of Task 10 282
Resolution of Task 11 287
Resolution of Task 12 293
Mission 4: Automated control of a pick and place station 299
Resolution of Task 1 303
Resolution of Task 2 305
Resolution of Task 3 306
Resolution of Task 4 308
Resolution of Task 5 310
Resolution of Task 6 313
Resolution of Task 7 320
Resolution of Task 8 327
Resolution of Task 9 333
Resolution of Task 10 340
Resolution of Task 11 345
Resolution of Task 12 352
Mission 5: Automated storage and retrieval system 361
Resolution of Task 1 364
Resolution of Task 2 366
Resolution of Task 3 369
Resolution of Task 4 372
Resolution of Task 5 375
Resolution of Task 6 379
Resolution of Task 8 390
Resolution of Task 9 397
Resolution of Task 10 402
Resolution of Task 11 407
Resolution of Task 12 413
PART 4 - EPILOGUE 419
15
PREFACE
I have been using virtual systems in my Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) programming classes for a number of years now. Without meaning to demean the role and importance of real 
target systems, virtual training plants are a low cost, risk and hazard free solution for both trainers 
and trainees. Moreover, virtual systems can easily be installed and multiplied, whilst assuring that 
trainees are kept in contact with the right control equipment throughout the entire process, as if they 
were training in real plants.
However, when a further motivational element is added to the above-mentioned benefits, namely 
an extremely realistic and interactive system capable of transmitting the environment and motivation 
of modern day computer games to the classroom, involving trainers and trainees alike, then some 
extremely positive, almost unique conditions, have been found to create a simplified, fascinating, 
natural and efficient learning environment. 
I thus strongly believe and defend that the training software ITS PLC is a privileged means of 
creating an extremely motivating learning environment, capable of motivating students in such a 
manner as to reveal their natural desire to achieve, think critically and persist as they so often do 
when playing computer games. Consequently, I eagerly accepted the proposal presented by Real 
Games Lda. inviting me to come up with an “exercise manual” which would accompany their ITS 
PLC product.
This has been a complex, stimulating and extremely interesting and enriching task, which has 
made me feel as if I were playing a computer game on a number of occasions. Thus, I have chosen 
to follow a typical computer game methodology. I decided on creating several game scenarios in 
which each mission begins with a number of small challenges, fundamental but easily attainable, 
moving on to a sequence of graded tasks in which each training exercise adds something to the 
previous one, and thereby allowing the trainee to acquire ever-increasing knowledge and confidence. 
However, each game is nothing more than a work proposal that each trainer can and should adapt to 
his own objectives and target trainees.
The presentation of the solutions in Structured Text (ST) may come somewhat as a surprise 
to some, seeing that it is not the most common PLC programming language. Two fundamental 
reasons lie behind this choice: on the one hand, ST is an advanced textual programming language 
that significantly facilitates the presentation and explanation of PLC programs to a heterogeneous 
public; on the other hand, the selection of this language contributes very naturally but strongly to 
the dissemination and spreading of the IEC 61131-3 standard. PLC programmers who don´t usually 
use ST programming language nor have adhered to this standard yet, will surely have experienced 
little and reflected even less on their virtues. Consequently, they are the precise type of reader that 
this initiative is aimed at.
Considering that Structured Text is not the most common programming language of many 
programmers, it is highly likely that the solutions hereby presented will come up translated in a 
variety and diversity of PLCs programming languages and dialects. The interest and pertinence 
16 Preface
of such translations is understandable, as is their subsequent public release. However, it is clear 
that the potential of the ITS PLC is not limited to such translations and much less to the proposals 
enclosed in this book. There will always be room for both the pleasure and desire of elaborating 
new problems and presenting novel solutions which represent new games and forms of playing ITS 
PLC. One can only hope that trainers and trainees will both come to share such pleasures!
Porto, Portugal, September 2011
António J. Pessoa de Magalhães
17
PART 1
PRESENTATION
This book presents a number of exercises for the ITS PLC educational software produced by Real Games Lda. Its prime objective is to maximise the usage of this training environment by 
presenting work plans capable of promoting a progressive, coherent and solid learning experience, 
leading to the specification and development of logical control techniques and the corresponding 
programming Programmable Logic Controllers – PLCs.
Despite the fact that the proposals set forth have been inspired in virtual environments, the ultimate 
aim of this training is that the results and applications hereby produced transcend this virtual realm 
as far as possible. Thus, if on a comprehensive picture, the ITS PLC plants represent relatively 
inclusive and advanced logical problems and concerns in the Industrial Automation field, on a more 
practical view they are a pretext to introduce and discuss elementary issues related to the most 
common errors, doubts and difficulties presented by those initiating or deepening their knowledge 
on PLC programming. The definition, presentation, treatment and logical ordering of these problems 
has been based on the author’s vast experience in the field of teaching PLC programming which has 
included both real and virtual systems.
The prime objective of the exercises presented throughout this book is thus to program a PLC to 
correctly and efficiently control the ITS PLC plants. Yet, in order to attain superior results, this should 
represent a starting point for the development of further applications. For example, applications 
which combine human-machine interface consoles supervisory systems, distributed control or even 
information management. Additionally, it is extremely useful to seek robust solutions capable of 
dealing with situations of failure and uncertainty. Work proposals related to both of these cases are 
presented throughout this book. They are aimed at an advanced level of education and training and, 
as such, trainers should adapt these orientations to their specific course objectives, the equipment 
available to them and to the level of their trainees.
The exercises presented throughout this book are based on the PLC control of the five ITS PLC 
plants and comprise a total of sixty exercises: twelve per plant. For each problem proposed, an 
adequate solution is set forth in the form of a PLC program which is duly commentated. In the 
case of the simpler programs, these are preceded by a relatively simple and informal commentary. 
Alternatively, more complex problems are accompanied by an explanation provided in the 
GRAFCET1 language in accordance with the second edition of the IEC 60484 standard. Despite 
not being the sole possible solution, the specifications and solutions presented are aimed at being 
modular and generic, in addition to leading to a process of thought and reflection for trainers and 
trainees alike.
It is increasingly common to begin the project of a sequential system with its GRAFCET 
1 Following the trend of specialised literature, the text uses the term “GRAFCET” to denote the French specification 
language“GRAphe Fonctionnel de Commande Étape Transition” and the term “grafcet” to denote a graphical schema 
developed according to the GRAFCET language.
Part 1: Presentation 18
specification. The fact that GRAFCET, which is often wrongly referred to as “Sequential Function 
Chart”, is a standardised graphic methodology, which is far more succinct, objective and 
encompassing than state or timing diagrams, has largely contributed to it being a widely used and 
well-known tool by the majority of PLCs programmers. This is further enhanced by the fact that the 
translation of a grafcet in a generic PLC program is a relatively simple process, a topic which will 
be further explored in this book. Due to the above-mentioned reasons, the selection of GRAFCET 
as the descriptive language of the behaviour of a system throughout this book has been very natural.
On the other hand, the choice of a programming language to present the solutions found, was 
subjected to great ponderation and thought terminating in the adoption of the “Structured Text” in 
accordance with the second edition of the IEC 61131-3 standard. Apart from serving the objectives 
of this study quite well, this decision promotes an increasingly important language and standard in 
the PLCs domain thereby broadening the didactic interest of this book.
Seeing that the Structured Text programming language and the IEC 61131-3 standard may not be 
well mastered by those initiating the programming of PLCS, information relating to both has been 
included in this book. This information is presented prior to solutions. Additionally, the IEC 61499 
standard has been promoted in a number of exercises. Although this is not directly related to the 
prime objectives of this book, trainers who are more familiarised with this topic will surely be able 
to identify the correct means to achieve this end.
Thus, one believes that there are a number of reasons that justify the interest of this book, which 
has been organised in the following manner:
Part 1 – Presentation – presents all the necessary issues for a correct and complete introduction of 
the reader to the learning environment awaiting him. More specifically, it begins by contextualising 
the sequence, objectives and public targets of the challenges presented throughout this text. Next, a 
number of considerations relating to the manner the reader should view the challenges he is faced 
with, as well as his expected learning progress in light of his previous knowledge, are presented. 
Lastly, a list of the resources required for the resolution of the exercises which have been proposed 
is put forth.
Part 2 – The Problems – presents the five main challenges or missions in the form of a computer 
game that the reader will have to progressively master. Each challenge corresponds to the control 
of a virtual ITS PLC plant which has been translated into twelve programming exercises. These 
have been sequenced in a number of small tasks, in order to promote a simple, natural and efficient 
learning process. Each mission is preceded by an explanation relating to its environment in 
order to familiarise the reader with the typical control problems introduced by the plant and the 
practical interest of the proposed exercises. At the end of each mission, work proposals aimed at 
a more advanced level are presented. These proposals have been organised in accordance with 
two perspectives: On the one hand, the integration of the applications with supervisory systems 
and human-machine interface consoles; on the other hand, the improvement of the performance 
of the programs developed, through the inclusion of procedures to support failures in sensors and 
actuators and other fault based scenarios.
Part 1: Presentation 19
Part 3 – The Solutions – This section begins with various considerations relating to programming 
in Structured Text and the IEC 61131-3 standard. This section is aimed at readers who are not very 
familiar with these topics. As such, appropriate literature, websites and software is suggested. Next, 
the solutions to the challenges presented in Part two are put forth. Each solution is presented along 
with the respective justification of the programming procedures, which are often based on a grafcet, 
followed by the duly commentated corresponding program.
Part 4 – Epilogue – Provides a summary of the main conclusions presented throughout the text.
The Game
Welcome to the game ITS PLC! If you didn’t happen to come upon this book by chance, then you 
will know that ITS PLC is a software package developed by Real Games Lda., which emulates five 
industrial plants to be controlled by an external PLC. For more information on this product please 
consult www.realgames.pt.
Before continuing, it is important that the reader become familiar enough with the software in 
question by understanding its goals and features, as well as the properties of the sensors and actuators 
included in the virtual plants. A non-licensed version of the ITS PLC software can be used for this 
purpose. This, in addition to the respective user guide, is to be found on the Real Games Lda. site.
The prime objective of the current text is to aid the reader solve each of the five scenarios that 
comprise the ITS PLC. To do so, the reader, who is also the player, will have to wire up a PLC to 
the computer where the ITS PLC has been installed and program it correctly.
Upon familiarising himself with the application, the reader will soon come to realise that this game 
presents him with a total of five missions, namely:
• Automating a sorting plant;
• Automating a batching plant;
• Automating a palletising machine;
• Automating a pick and place station;
• Automating an automatic warehouse.
The practical interest and the exact objectives of each mission will soon be revealed. For the 
moment it is suffice to say that each mission is comprised of a total of twelve tasks which are to be 
carried out in a set order so that the player will progressively familiarise himself with the system that 
is to be automated, in addition to acquiring the necessary skills to effectively complete the assigned 
mission. Upon completion of each task, the player will move on to the next level. Completing 
the last level implies terminating the mission. Thus, completing all five missions directly implies 
finishing the game and becoming an “expert PLC programmer”!
Part 1: Presentation 20
The justification and demonstration of the practical interest of each mission are aspects that have 
received due consideration. Therefore, each mission begins with an explanation of the physical and 
functional aspects of the target plant, thereby allowing one to perceive the interest, objectives and 
difficulties of the particular mission in a real identical installation context.
Each task is accompanied by a simple yet precise text which includes the mission’s scenario 
containing the objective to be attained and the I/O signals to consider. A number of tasks are aimed 
at the automated control of just a part of the equipment available, thus implying that the player is to 
manually control the remaining parts. In such cases, the text provides a complete explanation as to 
the how and why in question. This is also the case when the verification of the programs developed 
requires the simulation of failures or the forcing of a functional state to one or more agents.
The player is given one or two “tips” to complete each mission. Although it makes sense for the 
player to use these clues, it is far more desirable for him to solve the mission on his own.
Each task is accompanied by the respective solution which the player should consult upon 
completing the task. Should the player not be able to solve the task on his own, this solution should 
be consulted in a careful manner so as to guarantee that he is able to move onto the following task. It 
is important that the player not give up and that he meditate on the commentaries and justificationsthat have been provided for each task.
Upon completing the mission, which implies automating a particular system, there is still room for 
further development. Thus, the player is challenged to complete more ambitious tasks in the form of 
two sets of supplementary exercises:
• ITS SUPER – Supervisory Environments and Systems;
• ITS DEEP – Dependable Environments Programming.
The former aims to develop distributed and flexible solutions by the integration of technological 
resources – such as PLCs, HMI consoles and supervisory systems amongst others. The latter involves 
a set of challenges aimed at improving the reliability of the solutions found, through the inclusion 
of detection techniques aiming to support faulty situations. More than being specific exercises with 
specific and rigid tasks, the proposals contained in these exercises act as guiding lines for broader 
tasks requiring more time and effort. Thus, the trainers are to adapt them to the equipment they have 
access to and to their particular trainees. One possibility is that they be viewed as topics for small 
individual projects at a more advanced level to be done individually or in groups.
The Players
The ITS PLC training software is a didactical platform which can and should be used by beginner 
PLCs programming trainees for developing simple programs. However, programming a PLC to 
control and endow the five systems included in the ITS PLC package with relatively elaborate 
functions, is a task that requires an Intermediate level of knowledge and skills, namely:
Part 1: Presentation 21
• Logical systems: binary variables and codes; binary, octal and hexadecimal numbering 
systems, logical operators and Boolean algebra; memory elements, set and reset operations, 
load and store operations; arithmetic, shift and rotation operations;
• Specification: functional description using timing diagrams, state diagrams and GRAFCET;
• PLCs: the functional model of a PLC; allocation and wiring of inputs and outputs; data 
storage and internal memory organisation, timers and counters, minimal programming 
experience of PLCs and the usage of development tools and associated testing; ease in 
reading and understanding a PLC manual.
Should all of the above be familiar, then you may consider yourself to be apt to begin and end the 
game. If however, you are not aware of or do not minimally master many of the above-mentioned 
topics, then you should begin by developing your knowledge prior to accepting the challenges put 
forth in this book. A fair amount of literature is available on the theme. Your trainer may direct you 
in this respect.
For those preparing to initiate the game, the most obvious piece of advice is to avoid cheating as 
one would in computer games. Having difficulties in finding a solution and knowing that it is just at 
the turn of a page may prove hazardous to one’s perseverance. Whenever you feel this temptation, 
remember that it will imply missing out on the opportunity to discover the solution for yourself 
– which may prove to be the most interesting quest of all and the most valuable part of the entire 
learning process.
Always seek to find your own solutions. This will allow you to broaden your knowledge in a solid 
and natural manner. If you fall into the temptation of cheating your way to the solution you will 
verify that it will just be a matter of time before you are no longer able to remember the solution in 
question. Perhaps you will not even have become aware of the fact that the programming of PLCs 
is a matter of “logic” and not of cheap and easy “tricks”!
The Equipment
You will surely be aware of the equipment that is required to begin the game: a computer with a 
duly licensed ITS PLC installation, and a PLC with a minimal number of inputs and outputs. Verify 
the type of inputs and outputs of your PLC and make sure that you have wired them correctly to the 
I/O board that accompanies the software. Consult the ITS PLC user guide in relation to this matter. 
Keep this manual at hand for you will surely need to frequently consult the input and output map 
for the virtual plants.
You should also keep the manual of your PLC and of the associated development software at hand. 
However, this may not always prove to be sufficient. Thus, you should also make sure you have 
some literature about logical systems and GRAFCET specification (preferably the second edition of 
the IEC 60484 standard) for easy and rapid consultation.
Even a modest PLC will be capable of controlling the installations presented throughout this book. 
Part 1: Presentation 22
However, should you have a more sophisticated PLC, you should not forget to explore its potential 
by inventing novel exercises and alternative solutions.
If you are able to connect two monitors to your computer you should do so. One should be used 
to visualise the ITS PLC environment and the other to analyze all the information associated with 
the execution of the PLC program online with the aid of a debugging tool. You will rapidly become 
aware of the advantages of using such a strategy.
Lastly, if you are the type of person who likes computer games and are easily excited by logical 
problems, then you will need a large pot of freshly brewed coffee or of your favourite tea for the 
day or night will surely be long. 
Now that you know the essential about the ITS PLC game, the time has come to play the game 
itself!
23
PART 2
THE PROBLEMS
You are probably already in front of your computer, properly equipped and willing to know your first challenge. Just a few short notes before you begin:
As stated before, problems are suggested in five self-contained modules, agreeing with the order by 
which virtual plants are introduced in the ITS PLC training software: sorting, batching, palletiser, 
pick and place and automatic warehouse. Missions do not have to be necessarily accomplished 
in this order, but you are advised to follow it. This is because, for the sake of the writing, and to 
avoid the duplication of detailed descriptions, in some cases, the resolution of a task points to 
comprehensive matters and detailed justifications provided in the resolution of a task of a previous 
mission, which are assumed to have been properly mastered at the time they were presented. But 
really important here is that, within each mission, you will try solve the tasks by the order they are 
presented in. This is because a task typically develops, in one way or the other, from the previous 
one and will be further developed in the next one. So, when you feel it is being hard to progress in 
a mission, you may leave it temporarily open, without consulting the solution, and proceed to the 
next mission. Perhaps this will provide the lessons and the inspiration that will allow you to later 
resume the mission left open.
Also important is to make sure that you have perfectly understood the statement of a task before 
starting to think about its resolution. Checking if the I/O listed in the task statement seems consistent 
with the objectives of the task is a good practice to ensure this. Always start by defining roughly, but 
objectively, the required procedures to solve the task. A timing diagram, state diagram or grafcet 
is a good approach for modelling such procedures, especially in the more complex cases. Then 
start developing your program. If the statement of a problem does not seem quite clear, do not use 
this argument as an excuse to peek at the solution. Instead, try to bypass the problem by taking the 
interpretation that seems most plausible to you, and not simpler!
Finally, two pieces of advice:
During your experiences, you will surely often feel the need to restart your system; i.e., the virtual 
plant and your PLC. The virtual plant is reset by pressing the clear button existent in the utility panel. 
As for restarting your PLC, we suggest this: include in your program a procedure for restarting its 
internal variables when a non-used input,for instance a sensor or a button, is forced or pressed; 
this way, you can easily restart your PLC status any time, especially after pressing the clear button, 
while keeping it in the running mode. Alternatively, you can use the input signal from the manual/
auto switch (Input 11) to reset your PLC. However, in this case, the PLC will restart every time the 
installation is launched in automatic mode, which is not always an interesting situation.
It is very important that you do not let you PLC go into the running mode before launching the 
virtual plant as, in this case, some of the internal PLC variables may change to values which are 
inconsistent with the initial state of the target plant.
Having made these considerations, the time to meet the challenges ahead has finally come. Good 
luck now!
25
MISSION 1: AUTOMATED CONVEYING AND SORTING 
OF CASES ON PALLETS
OBJECTIVE: To move cases from the entry bay to the exit elevators, sorting them by height
Part 2: The Problems 26
About this Mission
The movement of materials and parts on automated transportation systems, such as conveyers or transfer units, is very common in industrial plants. From a functional point of view, a 
unidirectional conveyer is the simplest transportation device, as its present state, handles or does 
not handle materials, can be represented by just a binary variable. Yet, most practical devices are 
far more flexible and complex than this, having a considerable number of internal states. That is the 
case of the sequential transporters, like the turntable included in this application which, performing 
both transferring and sorting jobs typically have several entry and exit interfaces.
At the entry (or tail) of a conveyer there is something that provides the materials to be moved; 
e.g., another conveyer, an operator or an automatic feeder. At the end (or head) of the conveyer, 
another system retrieves the moved materials; e.g., a sorting device, another conveyer, an operator 
or a packing station. The mission of a conveying system is thus to move materials from a location to 
another in an efficient way. Efficiency typically means that materials should be correctly conveyed 
and routed from a pre-defined origin to a pre-defined destination in minimum time and with the least 
power consumption possible. This is synonymous of saying that:
• A conveyer should not be running if it is not handling any material;
• A conveyer handling a material should not be stopped, unless this is absolutely necessary;
• The sorting devices should properly route all the materials.
The main goal of this mission is to show that, even in a complex plant, the exact characterization 
of the devices existent at the entry and end of a conveyer are not relevant for its effective control; the 
central issue in this matter is the synchronisation of each conveyer with the systems that feed and 
retrieve the moved materials. Mastering this notion is the key element for designing a centralised or 
distributed modular solution perfectly adaptable to the large conveying systems commonly found 
in real industrial plants.
Particularly important in any flexible conveying and sorting system is being able to manage all 
the information required for the proper routing of the materials. For such, the information related 
to the materials in transit – no matter if they originate from more or less sophisticated identification 
systems such as bar code or RFIDs readers, or just from ordinary proximity sensors, as in the case 
of the present application –, usually has to be acquired, routed and tracked in a very similar way to 
that of the conveyed materials.
Also important in any conveying system is the openness of the local controllers to the interchange 
of information with human-machine interface consoles and supervisory systems. Last, but not least, 
one must also consider the effective detection and proper handling of those situations that may lead 
to the damage of the conveyed materials or the physical degradation of the conveying system itself.
This mission covers all these issues, starting with the basic ones.
Mission 1: Automated conveying and sorting of cases on pallets 27
TASK 1: Automated movement of single pallets on the entry conveyer
Scenario: The entry conveyer starts running when it senses a pallet at its entry, moves it 
to the turntable and then stops.
Objective: To automate the control of the entry conveyer for moving pallets, one at a time.
Starting 
Conditions:
No pallets on the entry conveyer.
I/O Signals: Inputs: sensors 0 and 3.
Outputs: actuator 1.
Manual 
Procedures:
Manually control the feeding conveyer (by forcing actuator 0 on and off) to let 
pallets reach the entry conveyer, one at a time, and just when the entry 
conveyer is idle.
Keep the rollers of the turntable running (by forcing actuator 2 on) enabling 
this way the discharge of pallets coming from the entry conveyer, throwing 
them onto the ground.
Remove cases and pallets that accumulate behind the turntable, keeping it 
clear.
Tips: Consider a Boolean variable (a memory bit) denoting if the entry conveyer 
should be running or not, and find its dependency from other variables…
The entry and exit of pallets on the conveyer introduce logical transitions in the 
corresponding sensors…
Part 2: The Problems 28
TASK 2: Automated feeding and movement of single pallets on the entry conveyer 
Scenario: The entry conveyer behaves as in Task 1. The feeding conveyer is now 
automated and lets pallets reach the entry conveyer, one at a time, and just 
when it is idle.
Objective: To automate the feeding of pallets onto the entry conveyer, thus eliminating the 
manual procedure included in Task 1.
Starting 
Conditions:
No pallets on the entry conveyer.
I/O Signals: Inputs: sensors 0 and 3 – or others you may find more suitable…
Outputs: actuators 0 and 1.
Manual 
Procedures:
Keep the rollers of the turntable running (by forcing actuator 2 on) enabling this 
way the discharge of pallets coming from the entry conveyer, throwing them 
onto the ground.
Remove cases and pallets that accumulate behind the turntable, keeping it clear.
Introduce failures in the feeding conveyer (by forcing actuator 0 off) in order to 
disable the arrival of pallets to the entry conveyer, to make sure this conveyer 
does stop when it is not handling any pallet.
Tips: The transfer of pallets between the feeding and the entry conveyers requires 
that both are running simultaneously…
The feeding conveyer should not necessarily be stopped when the entry 
conveyer handles a pallet. Define a Boolean variable, “Busy_1”, to be TRUE 
when the entry conveyer cannot receive a pallet…
 
109Mission 5: Automated storage and retrieval system 
TASK 12: Storing and retrieving items randomly
Scenario: The restart button light indicator turns on when the warehouse is launched in 
automatic mode. By pressing this button, the following cyclical running mode 
starts:
Boxes are sequentially stored in randomly selected (empty) compartments, until 
35 boxes exist in the warehouse. When this is reached, boxes are sequentially 
retrieved from randomly selected storing compartments until just 15 boxes exist 
in the warehouse. When this is reached, the storage phase restarts, so that 
random box storage and random box retrieval phases alternate indefinitely. As in 
previous tasks, the start button light indicator blinks when the transelevator is 
moving.
Objective: To implement a storage and retrieval demonstration mode based on random 
selections.
Starting 
Conditions:
Transelevator anywhere, but unloaded. Warehouse empty.
I/O Signals: Inputs: sensors 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 and restart and emergency buttons.
Outputs: actuators 0 to 7 and start and restart button light indicators.
Manual 
Procedures:
Press the restart button to start the application. Press the emergency button 
whenever you want to introduce an alarm condition.
Tips: Inventory management can be based on Boolean variables again…You can generate random integer numbers from the current value of a timer that 
is periodically reset. Whenever a random value so generated cannot be used, 
consider the immediately above...
110 Part 2: The Problems 
And now that the fifth mission has been accomplished…
So, here we are, at the end of the fifth and final ITS PLC mission! Congratulations for such an 
extraordinary job. This was definitely a very interesting mission! Had you ever wondered on how 
to generate random numbers in a PLC? Was the reflection on ASCII code and packed BCD helpful? 
Do you know better the available instructions and features of your PLC for code conversion? In 
short, we can surely state that this mission, apart from being very appealing visually, allowed us 
to survey in an organised fashion a set of challenging but central issues for any PLC programmer.
This mission is therefore almost finished and so is the ITS PLC game itself. Still remaining are 
the last TS SUPER and ITS DEEP proposals. And in these, and in the many others that one can 
imagine, there is still much more room for discovering more exciting challenges around the ITS 
PLC automatic warehouse.
ITS SUPER – Integration with supervisory systems and human-machine 
interface consoles
Most of the tasks proposed in this mission can indeed benefit a lot from the integration of an HMI 
console. For instance, with such an equipment you are able to:
• Issue the moving, storage and retrieval orders from the HMI console instead of just from 
the virtual command buttons;
• Get more detailed error codes than just the short blinking of a light indicator;
• Set and read the values for the configuration variables such as Place, Box_Id and Class_Id;
• Analyze and initialise the inventory tables at your will;
• Know the stored boxes according to their classes and codes.
Yet, if a SCADA system is available, then more interesting and advanced scenarios can be 
considered. For instance:
• Changing dynamically the areas allocated to product classes;
• Knowing for how long each item is stored in the warehouse; 
• Periodic reallocation of the stored items, allowing a better management of the available 
space;
• Defining and selecting different criteria for storage and retrieval of items;
• Allowing that certain classes of items can only be requested by credentialed operators;
• Creating and managing queues for storage and retrieval requests;
111Mission 5: Automated storage and retrieval system 
• Logging availability and unavailability periods of the warehouse;
• Logging emergency conditions and corresponding duration;
• Detailed logging of all the storage and retrieval activities;
• Logging of any of the detected abnormal conditions proposed in the ITS DEEP package 
that follows.
ITS DEEP – Detection and handling of error conditions
As in Mission 4, some of the available sensors were ignored in the solutions provided for the 
current mission, as they are not fundamental for insuring the proper functioning of the automatic 
warehouse. This is true for sensors 0, 2 and 4. Yet, these are very useful for detecting error conditions. 
For instance:
• Devise an alarm procedure for the case of sensor 0 being active and the transelevator is 
not expected at position 51, and another one for the case of sensor 0 not being active and 
transelevator is expected to be at position 51;
• Devise an alarm procedure for the case of sensors 2 or 4 not being activated during a 
transfer operation, and another one for the case of sensors 2 or 4 being active while the 
transferring platform is expected to be retracted.
Additional abnormal events for which devising an effective detection and handling procedures is 
a worthwhile job, are the following ones:
• Moving orders while the platform is not completely retracted;
• Failure in transferring a box from the input transfer chariot to the transelevator;
• Failure in transferring a box from the transelevator to the output transfer chariot;
• Loss of a box while it is being carried on the transelevator;
• Lengthy delay of the transelevator in reaching the intended position;
• Lengthy unavailability of the output transfer chariot;
• Lengthy unavailability of the input transfer chariot;
• Unexpected departure of the output transfer chariot;
• Unexpected departure of the input transfer chariot;
• Failure of a sensor and corresponding identification – including if stuck at 0 or 1;
112 Part 2: The Problems 
• Failure of an actuator and corresponding identification – including if stuck at 0 or 1.
From here, you are challenged to try to develop some effective procedures for detecting and 
dealing with the stated abnormal conditions, which you can force or simulate by using the valuable 
ITS PLC interaction features. Then, conduct some tests to properly assess the efficiency of your 
error detection techniques and draw your own conclusions.
113
PART 3
THE SOLUTIONS
Most likely, your secret desire that the solutions for the proposed problems were provided in the programming language of your PLC will not come true. But, having so many PLC 
brands and models, the probability of this happening was, in fact, very low!
So, given the impossibility to present the solutions in the preferred language of each reader, it was 
decided to do it in a standard language of growing acceptance, which is also very efficient, highly 
expressive, quite understandable – even to those who have never used it – and easily translatable 
into any other PLC programming language: Structured Text.
The Structured Text and the IEC 61131-3 Standard
Structured Text (or just ST for short) is a modern textual PLC programming language considered 
in the IEC 61131-3 standard. Its simplicity and expressiveness is bringing it an ever increasing 
number of enthusiasts among PLC programmers and manufacturers.
If this is the first time you are dealing with this language, then consider this as an additional point 
of interest in this workbook. Surely, you will soon be very enthusiastic about structured text. And 
if you happen to know some general high-level computer programming languages, such as BASIC, 
Pascal or C, then you’ll notice that ST is, after all, a very easy language to understand and use, and 
to some extent, already known to you.
For many authors, ST is the programming language that allows the fastest and the most efficient 
development and use of modern PLC based control systems. Whereas this is obviously arguable, 
the fact is that the benefits of this programming language are particularly conspicuous for complex 
applications.
Yet, another feature has contributed greatly in the last years to the efficient design, implementation 
and re-engineering of controlling solutions based on PLCs: the IEC 61131 standard. If you do not 
know this standard yet, then the time has come for you to know it. If are working or studying at 
a University, you will surely find it at the library of your institution. If this is not the case, then 
consulting some of the numerous books, articles and websites that dedicate considerable attention 
to this standard, and in particular to its Part 3 (IEC 61131-3), will surely help you. Hence, presenting 
the solutions of suggested exercises in ST language also works as a foundation to stimulate you to 
know (or to know better) the IEC 61131 standard, although many of its features are not reflected in 
the proposed resolutions.
Yet, if it is your intention to continue to adopt a programming language that “has nothing to do 
with ST” – as ladder diagrams, functional block diagrams or instruction list – then, the IEC 61131-3 
standard also fits your interests and needs. This is because these traditional programming languages 
are also included in the standard. Any of these languages could therefore have been chosen for 
114 Part 3: The Solutions 
presenting the solutions for the proposed exercises, while keeping the purposes of compliance 
with, and dissemination of, the IEC 61131-3 standard.The stated languages were not adopted in 
here because it is our conviction that ST is the clearest, simplest and most efficient language for 
introducing and explaining a PLC program, especially to an extremely heterogeneous audience.
The IEC 61131-3 standard also covers the SFC (Sequential Function Chart) graphical language 
in order to structure, sequence and develop a controlling program. Hence, SFC is not really an 
alternative to ST or to any other programming language covered in the standard. Yet, the SFC 
language is one of the most interesting and important aspects of IEC 61131-3. It is often confused 
with the GRAFCET modelling language, as defined in the first version of the IEC 60848 standard, 
as the result of their graphical and semantic similarities; but SFC and GRAFCET have very different 
scopes. Nevertheless, GRAFCET is a major gateway to the understanding of some major features 
of the IEC 61131-3 standard, particularly in code organisation. This is another reason for the 
widespread use of GRAFCET in this textbook over other possible specification methodologies and 
languages.
If the PLC you are using is minimally compliant with the IEC 61131-3 standard but it only supports 
the more classical languages, then you can add another point of interest to the suggested exercises: 
the translation of the presented solutions to “your” programming language, while adopting the 
semantics and the representative symbols provided in the IEC 61131-3 standard. There are, after all, 
a lot of interesting subjects in this workbook!
Finally, if you are already an ST enthusiast and usually develop your PLC programs in accordance 
with the IEC 61131-3 standard, then you will certainly find the presented programs somehow 
inelegant, inefficient, and even sometimes non-conforming to the spirit of the standard. While 
agreeing completely that ST and the IEC 61131-3 standard would allow for coding the solutions in 
some ways that are far more interesting than those adopted – for example, by using enumerated data 
types to deal with state machines changes, or by encapsulating and reusing user code in functions 
and function blocks – it must be emphasised that such approaches would certainly introduce some 
confusion and misinterpretation into readers unfamiliar to both, the standard and the adopted 
programming language. And the presented solutions are expected to have two merits: firstly, and 
the most important, to be understandable to any PLC programmer, even if only minimally qualified; 
secondly, to provide to every reader the additional exercise of translating and optimising them 
to the programming language(s) of interest. Consequently, if you are an enthusiast of ST, take 
the presented solutions as pieces of code to optimise according to the IEC 61131-3 standard – or 
according to the IEC 61499 standard, if you happen to know this one too.
Literature and Supporting Materials
If you wish to initiate yourself in the Structured Text programming language and in the IEC 61131 
standard, you have many departing options. Finding the IEC 61131 standard in a library should 
not be difficult for you. Another possibility is to acquire it from the “International Electrotechnical 
Commission” – http://www.iec.ch.
115Part 3: The Solutions 
The most interesting part of the standard is Part 3, dedicated entirely to programming languages. 
It is commonly called the IEC 61131-3 standard. This is presented, discussed and exemplified in 
several texts. For instance, in the following books:
• Robert W. Lewis – “Programming Industrial Control Systems Using IEC 1131-3” (IEE 
Control Engineering Series), 1998 - ISBN: 0-85296-950-3;
• Karl-Heinz John – “IEC 61131-3: Programming Industrial Automation Systems: Concepts 
and Programming Languages, Requirements for Programming Systems, Aids to Decision-
Making Tools”. 1995, Springer Verlag. ISBN 3-540-67752-6. Part of this book is available 
on the Internet from the author’s personal web page: http://www.fen-net.de/karlheinz.john/.
A must-visit site on PLCs and PLC standards is “PLCopen” web site – www.plcopen.org. Plentiful 
and useful information can be found there.
Submitting a “structured text programming” search to Google, or to any other search engine, leads 
to an endless list of sites and interesting articles. Among them, the book “Automating Manufacturing 
Systems with PLCs” by Hugh Jack, available at the time of this publication from the site claymore.
engineer.gvsu.edu/~jackh/books/plcs. This is absolutely recommended reading.
If you do not happen to have a PLC compliant with the IEC 61131-3 standard but you are willing 
to try start programming in ST, then we suggest a tour to the world of the “soft PLCs”. Most of these 
software packages are fully IEC 61131-3 compliant. They are expensive, but their manufacturers 
offer free demo versions that you can use for training. Most of these demo versions are well 
documented and include very interesting exemplifying applications. Thus, whilst somehow limited, 
free soft PLCs are excellent resources and points of departure for programming according to IEC 
61131-3 standard languages, including ST. We suggest you try the following products:
• ISaGRAF – http://www.isagraf.com;
• MULTIPROG – http://www.kw-software.com;
• CoDeSys – http://www.3s-software.com;
• TwinCAT PLC – http://www.beckhoff.com.
So, if you do not know “soft PLCs” yet, then grasp this excellent opportunity to finally start 
dealing with such a remarkable resource that is currently controlling many of the modern industrial 
facilities. Another benefit from having read this book!
About the Solutions
After having made some considerations about ST and the IEC 61131-3 standard, the time has 
finally come to reveal the solutions to the proposed problems.
So, each resolution starts by a more or less brief and justified description of the procedures used 
116 Part 3: The Solutions 
for solving the current task. Then, the corresponding PLC program, properly commented and 
coded in ST language, is provided. Since, in most cases, tasks complement themselves as a mission 
progresses, the resolution of a task is usually the starting point to solve the next. Consequently, 
much of the code developed for solving a task tends to be reused in subsequent tasks. Hence, we 
emphasise here again the importance of fully understanding the resolution of a task before trying 
to solve the next.
In the case of not so trivial tasks or when the procedures to follow are likely prone to ambiguity, 
program development is based on a prior and duly explained GRAFCET model. This specification 
is developed in accordance with the second edition of the IEC 60848 standard. Since this version of 
the standard is relatively new, it is likely that some readers still do not know much about it. Namely, 
the changes introduced relatively to the first edition. So, those readers may find some odd aspects in 
a few grafcets; for example, the allocation of actions to transitions.
Having in mind the readers less familiar with the current GRAFCET standard, the presented 
solutions make notice of some of the advances introduced in the second edition of the IEC 60848 
standard. Yet, such enlightenments do not intend to replace the reading of the standard. In fact, the 
promotion of the second edition of the IEC 60848 standard – which differs much more from the 
SFC language than the first edition – is another aim of this book.
The declaration and initialization of variables is an important issue in any programming task; but 
this is particularly relevant when a job requires programming according to the IEC 61131-3 standard. 
Consequently, the declaration of variables has its own space in the presented solutions, and to which 
special attention should also be given by you. This is mostly because variable declaration also 
includes the corresponding initialization, implicit or explicit. And many of the declared variables 
do require a precise initial value. For example, theallocation of the initial TRUE value to a state 
variable reveals or confirms that it represents an initial step or state. Hence, the declaration of a 
variable should not be seen as a mere formalism of minor interest to the presented solutions, but 
rather as essential information.
For the sake of the organisation of the solutions, variable declarations are grouped in six sets: 
one for those variables that are common to all missions, and five for those that appear within each 
mission. The first group includes only the I/O variables and is presented in the next section. Later 
on, when the solutions for the twelve tasks of each mission are provided, then the corresponding 
variables and the standard function block instances will be declared.
As a final note, it is worth emphasising, once again, that the presented solutions are just “possible 
solutions”; not the only or the best solutions in any way. You are thus invited to find your own 
solutions and to compare them to those herein provided, while trying to find comparative advantages 
and disadvantages. The writing of a notebook, reflecting the personal conclusions about the outcome 
of each task and mission, is the ultimate purpose of this book, and surely one of the most important 
achievements for trainers and trainees alike.
117Part 3: The Solutions 
Declaring I/O variables
Variables denoting the input and output parameters of a computer program are generally referred 
to as “I/O variables”. I/O variables are central to any PLC program, since they are the means of 
information interchange between the software PLC application and the hardware peripherals such 
as sensors, actuators and human-machine interface devices. 
The ITS PLC plants are no exception to this rule, requiring thus the correct information interchange 
between the virtual devices and the external controlling PLC. For this, it is required that the PLC 
continuously receive the information about the current state of the plant, in the form of input 
variables of the PLC, and that plant change its state in accordance with the appropriate PLC controls, 
reflected in the output variables of the PLC. This exchange of information requires a physical 
connection between the PLC and the USB interface card accompanying the ITS PLC software. It is 
this physical connection that defines the mapping of the I/O variables of the controlling PLC into 
the I/O variables of the ITS PLC virtual systems.
The declaration of I/O variables has three main purposes: to provide them with names that can be 
used during the programming, to define their types, and to assign them to physical PLC addresses. 
As such, when declaring an I/O variable, each programmer names it at his own will and maps it 
according to the physical requirements of his PLC. Common to all declarations is just the statement 
that each I/O variable is a Boolean variable. Consequently, the declaration of I/O variables provided 
in here is necessarily very general.
The IEC 61131-3 standard considers the possibility of assigning a physical PLC space (i.e., a 
memory, input or output address) to a variable when this is declared. This feature, which is 
particularly useful for declaring I/O variables, makes use of the “AT” attribute. Thus, for a PLC 
with 8-bit input and output modules, I/O variables could be declared like this:
(***************************************************** 
 Declaration of Input and Output Variables 
*****************************************************)
VAR_INPUT
 In_0 AT %IX0.0 : BOOL; (* Sensor 0 *)
 In_1 AT %IX0.1 : BOOL; (* Sensor 1 *)
 In_2 AT %IX0.2 : BOOL; (* Sensor 2 *)
 In_3 AT %IX0.3 : BOOL; (* Sensor 3 *)
 In_4 AT %IX0.4 : BOOL; (* Sensor 4 *)
 In_5 AT %IX0.5 : BOOL; (* Sensor 5 *)
 In_6 AT %IX0.6 : BOOL; (* Sensor 6 *)
 In_7 AT %IX0.7 : BOOL; (* Sensor 7 *)
 In_8 AT %IX1.0 : BOOL; (* Sensor 8 *)
 In_9 AT %IX1.1 : BOOL; (* Sensor 9 *)
 In_10 AT %IX1.2 : BOOL; (* Sensor 10 *)
118 Part 3: The Solutions 
 In_11 AT %IX1.3 : BOOL; (* Manual/Automatic mode Switch *)
 In_12 AT %IX1.4 : BOOL; (* Start Button *)
 In_13 AT %IX1.5 : BOOL; (* Stop Button *)
 In_14 AT %IX1.6 : BOOL; (* Restart Button *)
 In_15 AT %IX1.7 : BOOL; (* Emergency Button *)
END_VAR
VAR_OUPUT
 Out_0 AT %QX0.0 : BOOL; (* Actuator 0 *)
 Out_1 AT %QX0.1 : BOOL; (* Actuator 1 *)
 Out_2 AT %QX0.2 : BOOL; (* Actuator 2 *)
 Out_3 AT %QX0.3 : BOOL; (* Actuator 3 *)
 Out_4 AT %QX0.4 : BOOL; (* Actuator 4 *)
 Out_5 AT %QX0.5 : BOOL; (* Actuator 5 *)
 Out_6 AT %QX0.6 : BOOL; (* Actuator 6 *)
 Out_7 AT %QX0.7 : BOOL; (* Actuator 7 *)
 Out_8 AT %QX1.0 : BOOL; (* Start button light indicator *)
 Out_9 AT %QX1.1 : BOOL; (* Restart button light indicator *)
END_VAR
(***************************************************** 
 End of Declaration
*****************************************************)
Most PLC programming environments adopt procedures more or less similar to this for declaring 
variables. But, admitting that this statement is confusing for those readers who are less familiar 
with the IEC 61131-3 standard, the central aspects to retain from the variables declaration presented 
above are:
• For all the tasks of all the missions, Boolean input variables In_0, In_1, …, In_10 map, in 
this order, the logic levels of virtual sensors 0, 1, …, 10;
• For all the tasks of all the missions, Boolean input variables In_11, In_12, …, In_15 
map, in this order, the logic levels of the Mode Switch and of the Start, Stop, Restart and 
Emergency buttons;
• For all the tasks of all the missions, Boolean output variables Out_0, Out_1, …, Out_7 
map, in this order, the logic levels of virtual actuators 0, 1, …, 7;
• For all the tasks of all the missions, Boolean output variables Out_8 and Out_9, map the 
logic levels of the Light Indicators of the Start and Restart buttons, respectively.
Note that the IEC 61131-3 standard makes it possible to initialise a variable during the corresponding 
declaration. Yet, this possibility is not very interesting for I/O variables – in fact, it does not even 
make sense to initialise an input variable. This is why I/O variables were not initialised in the above 
declaration. Yet, in future declarations, variables initialization will be a major issue.
119
MISSION 1: AUTOMATED CONVEYING AND SORTING 
OF CASES ON PALLETS
Variables and function blocks instances within Mission 1
According to the IEC-61131 standard, the code of a PLC program must be headed by the declaration of variables and function blocks instances used within such program. Yet, 
presenting the solutions for the twelve tasks that make up each mission according to this rule would 
lead, in most cases, to precede the PLC code by a long list of variables and function blocks already 
introduced and explained in several previous tasks.
Hence, to avoid tedious and subsequent declarations, which would contribute little or nothing to 
the understanding of the presented programs, while simplifying simultaneously the organisation 
and the reading of the text, it was decided to join in a single table the declaration of all the variables 
and function blocks instances within the twelve tasks of each mission. This joint statement, which 
opens the presentation of the solutions to each mission, is presented in accordance with the IEC 
61131-3 standard, and must be taken into account in assessing the PLC code corresponding to the 
solution of each task. In particular, it is especially important to observe the initial value assigned to 
each variable.
It is important to state that, according to the IEC 61131-3 standard, the declaration of a variable 
allows one to assign it an initial value distinct from the default one, which depends on the variable 
type – for instance. Booleans, integers and reals are all initiated at 0, by default. As such, it may seem 
odd that the declaration of some variables includes the corresponding initialization to its default 
value. For instance, the reader will notice that many Boolean variables are explicitlyinitialised to 
FALSE. Yet, such “redundancy” is meant to explicitly reveal the initial value of some particularly 
important variable. This is the case, for example, of the initial value of a state variable, which 
typically reflects an initial condition provided in the scenario where the task takes place. Therefore, 
it must be initialised to TRUE or FALSE accordingly, hopefully in an explicit manner.
According to this principle, it was decided, in variables declarations, to explicitly initialise all 
the variables whose initial value is relevant for the application, and not just those whose default 
initial value does match the value of interest. Experience shows this is a worthy approach as most 
newbie trainees tend to incorrectly understand the absence of an explicit initial value for a variable 
as a “don´t care” initial value, instead of recognising the value of interest in the default initial 
value. Consistently, it was decided to not explicitly initialise all the variables whose initial value is 
irrelevant.
Comments included in the corresponding declarations reveal the set of tasks in which each variable 
and function block instance appears. Yet, one should note that some variables are expected to take 
distinct initial values for distinct tasks. The decision of declaring all the variables within a mission in 
a single table makes it impossible to support such diversity of initial values in compliance with the 
IEC 61131-3 standard. To minimise this problem, comments were included in variable declarations 
120 Part 3: The Solutions 
for which multiple initial values exist, revealing the corresponding initial value for each task in which 
it appears. Comments also highlight those purely illustrative initial values, such as configuration 
parameters, recipe tables and others, which trainers and trainees are free to change at their will. 
Variables are grouped according to their context and alphabetically ordered, making it easier to find 
the declaration of a particular variable within the declaration table. Variables declaration precedes 
the declaration of function block instances facilitating the reading of the declaration table.
These explanations having been provided, they are followed by the declaration of the variables 
used in the twelve tasks that make up Mission 1, which corresponds to the following list:
(********************************************************
 Declaration of variables and IEC 61131-3 
 function blocks instances used within Mission 1
********************************************************)
VAR
 (* Declaration and initialization of variables *)
 (* Variables assigned to entry conveyer control *)
 Count : WORD := 16#8000; (* Tasks 3, 5-12 *)
 (* Ring counter, starting at zero -> 8000H *)
 Entry_busy : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 2-3, 5-12 *)
 (* Acceptance of pallets: 0 -> Accepts *)
 Mem_release_timeout : BOOL; (* Tasks 9-12 *)
 (* Holding Memory for Release_Timeout *)
 Pallet_on_entry : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 1-3, 5-12 *)
 (* Carrying state: 0 -> No pallets *)
 Queue : WORD; (* Tasks 8-12 *) 
 (* Heights of the pallets *)
 
 (* Variables assigned to turntable control *)
 Charging : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 4-12 *)
 (* Possible state (grafcet step) *)
 Discharge_direction : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 6-12 *)
 (* If 0, discharges onto the right exit conveyer *)
 Discharging : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 4-12 *)
 (* Possible state (grafcet step) *)
 Idle : BOOL := TRUE; (* Tasks 4-12 *)
 (* Initial state (grafcet step) *)
 Mem_timeout_turntable : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Holding Memory for Timeout_turntable *)
 Turns_charged : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 4-12 *)
 (* Possible state (grafcet step) *)
 Turns_discharged : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 4-12 *)
121Mission 1: Automated conveying and sorting of cases on pallets 
 (* Possible state (grafcet step) *)
 Turntable_busy : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 5-12 *)
 (* Acceptance of pallets: 0 -> Accepts *)
 (* Variables assigned to right exit conveyer control *)
 Mem_timeout_right : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Holding Memory for Timeout_right *)
 Pallet_on_right : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 5-12 *)
 (* Carrying state: 0 -> No pallets *)
 Right_busy : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 7-12 *)
 (* Acceptance of pallets: 0 -> Accepts *)
 (* Variables assigned to left exit conveyer control *)
 Left_busy : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 7-12 *)
 (* Acceptance of pallets: 0 -> Accepts *)
 Mem_timeout_left : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Holding Memory for Timeout_left *)
 Pallet_on_left : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 6-12 *)
 (* Carrying state: 0 -> No pallets *)
 (* Variables assigned to plant mode control *)
 
 Automatic : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 10-12 *)
 (* Possible mode (grafcet step) - initial for Task 10 *)
 Cleaning : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Possible mode (grafcet step) *)
 Plant_idle : BOOL; (* Tasks 10-12 *)
 (* Plant is Idle *)
 Ready : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 10-12 *)
 (* Possible mode (grafcet step) *)
 Shutdown : BOOL := FALSE; (* Tasks 10-12 *)
 (* Possible mode (grafcet step) *)
 Standby : BOOL := TRUE; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Possible mode (grafcet step) - initial for Tasks 11-12 *)
 
 (* Functional Blocks Instances *)
 (* Falling edge (TRUE to FALSE) events detection *)
 F_In_0 : F_TRIG; (* Tasks 2-3, 5-12 *)
 (* In_0 falling transition *)
 F_In_3 : F_TRIG; (* Tasks 1-12 *)
 (* In_3 falling transition *)
 F_In_7 : F_TRIG; (* Tasks 4-12 *)
 (* In_7 falling transition *)
122 Part 3: The Solutions 
 F_In_8 : F_TRIG; (* Tasks 6-12 *)
 (* In_8 falling transition *)
 F_In_9 : F_TRIG; (* Tasks 5-12 *)
 (* In_9 falling transition *)
 F_In_10 : F_TRIG; (* Tasks 6-12 *)
 (* In_10 falling transition *)
 (* Rising edge (FALSE to TRUE) events detection *)
 R_Cleaning : R_TRIG; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Cleaning rising transition *)
 R_In_0 : R_TRIG; (* Task 1 *)
 (* In_0 rising transition *)
 R_Plant_idle : R_TRIG; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Plant_idle rising transition – Plant has stopped *)
 
 (* Timers (on-delay) *)
 Auto_shutdown_blinker_1 : TON; (* Task 12 *)
 (* Timer 1 for Auto_shutdown_blinker *)
 Auto_shutdown_blinker_2 : TON; (* Task 12 *)
 (* Timer 2 for Auto_shutdown_blinker *)
 Cleaning_blinker_1 : TON; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Timer 1 for Cleaning_blinker *)
 Cleaning_blinker_2 : TON; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Timer 2 for Cleaning_blinker *)
 Release_Timeout : TON; (* Tasks 9-12 *)
 (* Timeout assigned to entry conveyer control *)
 Shutdown_blinker_1 : TON; (* Tasks 10-12 *)
 (* Timer 1 for Shutdown_blinker *)
 Shutdown_blinker_2 : TON; (* Tasks 10-12 *)
 (* Timer 2 for Shutdown_blinker *)
 Timeout_entry : TON; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Timeout in entry conveyer control *)
 Timeout_left : TON; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Timeout in left exit conveyer control *)
 Timeout_right : TON; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Timeout in right exit conveyer control *)
 Timeout_turntable : TON; (* Tasks 11-12 *)
 (* Timeout in turntable control *)
 
 (* Counters (down) *)
 Batch_counter : CTD; (* Task 12 *)
 (* Pallet counter in batch conveying *)
END_VAR
123Mission 1: Automated conveying and sorting of cases on pallets 
(********************************************************
 End of declaration
********************************************************)
Resolution of Task 1
According to the task statement, the entry conveyer must be running if there is a pallet on it, and 
stopped otherwise. Thus, if one assumes that these complementing states are given by Pallet_on_
entry = TRUE and Pallet_on_entry = FALSE, respectively, being Pallet_on_entry an internal (or 
memory) Boolean variable, then Out_1 is trivially computed as:
Out_1 := Pallet_on_entry
Yet, sinceno sensor provides the information whether the entry conveyer handles or does not 
handle a pallet, the logic value of Pallet_on_entry has to be computed from the movement of pallets. 
This is easy: the arrival of a pallet onto the entry conveyer sets Pallet_on_entry, and the departure 
of the pallet resets Pallet_on_entry. Note that Pallet_on_entry starts FALSE, as the entry conveyer 
initially has no pallets.
The entry and departure of pallets onto and from to the entry conveyer are “events”, since they are 
both recognised by logic transitions: the first, by the FALSE to TRUE transition of In_0; the second 
by the TRUE to FALSE transition of In_3. Thus, the setting and resetting of Pallet_on_entry are for 
↑In_0 and ↓In_3, respectively.
The code implementing the solution for the present task is the following:
(*****************************************
 Mission 1 - Task 1
*****************************************)
(**** DETECTION OF RELEVANT EVENTS ****)
R_In_0(CLK := In_0);
(* R_In_0.Q is TRUE when In_0 transits from FALSE to TRUE, meaning that a pallet has 
arrived onto the entry conveyer *)
F_In_3(CLK := In_3);
(* F_In_3.Q is TRUE when In_3 transits from TRUE to FALSE, meaning that a pallet has 
departed from the entry conveyer *)
(**** ENTRY CONVEYER CONTROL ****)
(* Updating the state of the entry conveyer – given by Pallet_on_entry - according to 
124 Part 3: The Solutions 
the events detected above *)
IF R_In_0.Q THEN (* When a pallet arrives *)
 Pallet_on_entry := TRUE; (* Set Pallet_on_entry *)
END_IF;
IF F_In_3.Q THEN (* When a pallet departs *)
 Pallet_on_entry := FALSE; (* Reset Pallet_on_entry *)
END_IF;
(* The current state of the conveyer defines Out_1 *)
Out_1 := Pallet_on_entry;
(*****************************************
 End of Program
*****************************************)
Resolution of Task 2
The current problem is quite easy, but it deals with a set of matters that are central to the solving 
of most tasks of Mission 1 – in fact, to the solving of most conveying control problems of the real 
world.
One must start by noting that the conveying of a pallet has three distinct phases. In the case of the 
entry conveyer, these are:
• Charging – requires the entry and the feeder conveyer to be both running. The charging 
phase starts when a pallet is detected at sensor 0, and ends when this sensor stops detecting 
the pallet. Thus, during charging, the logical value of In_0 is TRUE;
• Carriage – during carriage just the entry conveyer is required to run, moving a pallet that is 
not detected by any sensor. Thus, during carriage, both In_0 and In_3 are FALSE;
• Discharging – requires the entry conveyer and the rollers of the turntable to be both running. 
Discharging starts when the pallet is detected by sensor 3, and ends when this sensor stops 
detecting the pallet. Thus, during discharging, the logical value of In_3 is TRUE.
Since charging a pallet onto the entry conveyer is synonymous of discharging it from the feeding 
conveyer – as discharging a pallet from the entry conveyers is equivalent to charging it onto the 
turntable – one concludes that when the entry conveyer is unavailable to receive a new pallet, 
because it is still moving the previous one, then the feeding conveyer cannot go into its discharge 
phase, i.e., it cannot move a pallet beyond sensor 0. In this situation the feeding conveyer must stop 
and wait for the entry conveyer not to be handling any pallet, becoming thus available for charging.
A common and simple solution for implementing this requirement is to assume that a conveyer A 
125Mission 1: Automated conveying and sorting of cases on pallets 
issues the signal A_busy = TRUE when, for some reason, it is not ready for charging a pallet. By 
reading this signal, a conveyer B, which feeds A, gets to know that it must not run to discharge a 
pallet onto conveyer A. This will only be possible from the moment in which conveyer A issues the 
signal A_busy = FALSE.
Adapting this technique to the current problem is trivial: the entry conveyer sets Entry_busy just 
after it has been charged – i.e., when it reads a TRUE to FALSE transition in In_0 – and resets it just 
after discharging – i.e., when it reads a TRUE to FALSE transition in In_3. In turn, the controller 
of the feeding conveyer reads the Entry_busy signal when it detects a pallet at sensor 0, suspending 
the feeding process if the entry conveyer is busy.
Another important practical issue is to guarantee that the entry conveyer does not have a transient 
stop after discharging a pallet if there is already a pallet waiting to be charged at the end of the 
feeding conveyer. For this, the set/reset conditions for Pallet_on_entry have to change relatively to 
those of Task 1. One possibility is to issue the reset order when In_3 transits from TRUE to FALSE 
only if In_0 is FALSE at that moment. Alternatively, the setting of Pallet_on_entry can go for In_0 
= TRUE and made dominant over the resetting. The solution presented below follows the second 
approach.
(*****************************************
 Mission 1 - Task 2
*****************************************)
(**** DETECTION OF RELEVANT EVENTS ****)
F_In_0(CLK := In_0);
(* A pallet was just charged onto the entry conveyer - i.e., discharged from the
 feeding conveyer *)
F_In_3(CLK := In_3);
(**** ENTRY CONVEYER CONTROL ****)
(* Updating Pallet_on_entry and Entry_busy *)
IF F_In_3.Q THEN (* A pallet abandons the conveyer*)
 Pallet_on_entry := FALSE; (* Reset Pallet_on_entry *)
 Entry_busy := FALSE; (* Reset Entry_busy *)
END_IF;
IF F_In_0.Q THEN (* When a pallet is charged *)
 Entry_busy := TRUE; (* Set Entry_busy *)
END_IF;
IF In_0 THEN (* If there is a pallet at the end of the feeder *)
 Pallet_on_entry := TRUE; (* Set Pallet_on_entry *)
126 Part 3: The Solutions 
END_IF;
(** IMPORTANT NOTE:
Note that the setting of Pallet_on_entry is now for In_0 and dominant over the reset
ting – since the setting instruction comes after the resetting. Thus, when F_In_3.Q 
and In_0 are both TRUE, Pallet_on_entry stays TRUE and so does Out_1. This means that 
the entry conveyer is kept running, without a transient FALSE, if a pallet exists at 
the entry of the conveyer when the previous one is discharged **)
(* Computing Out_1: as in Task 1 *)
Out_1 := Pallet_on_entry;
(**** FEEDING CONVEYER CONTROL ****)
(* The feeding conveyer is not running if the entry conveyer is busy and there is a 
pallet at the end of the feeder *)
Out_0 := NOT Entry_busy OR NOT In_0;
(* Or: Out_0 := NOT (Entry_busy AND In_0) *)
(*****************************************
 End of Program
*****************************************)
Resolution of Task 3
In this task the feeding conveyer is controlled as in Task 2, but the controller of the entry conveyer 
must have two changes:
• Pallet_on_entry goes FALSE when the entry conveyer discharges a pallet and goes empty;
• Entry_busy goes TRUE when there are two pallets on the entry conveyer.
It is thus important to have a counter to know how many pallets are on the entry conveyer. Most 
PLCs include several up and down counting functions – usually named CTUD counters – that may 
be used for signalling the two reference counting values for the present task: 0 (conveyer empty) 
and 2 (conveyer full).
Another possibility is to implement a counting function particularly well fitted to the general goals 
of Mission 1. In this case – and this will be justified in a later task – it makes sense to implement a 
very peculiar counter: a “ring counter”. By definition, incrementing a ring counter is synonymous to 
rotating its content one position left; decrementing it means to rotate its content one position right.
In the present case, a ring counter named “Count” is implemented using a 16-bit register, which 
is the typical length of most PLC registers. The 0 counting value is coded as the word having the 
TRUE value for the leftmost bit and FALSE for all the others. Thus, the Count register